Juniors are too fit!
Mar 24, 2003
THE boys are for the first time assured of travelling to the World Cross country Championships in time, and are training like mad.
By James Bakama in Kapchorwa
THE boys are for the first time assured of travelling to the World Cross country Championships in time, and are training like mad.
A great incentive, in the form of four air-tickets from SN Brussels, has seen the boys run extra miles in training.
The young team, bronze medal winners at the last three world meets, are pumping their lungs in the hills of Kapchorwa so hard that coach Johnson Kasajja is concerned.
Kasajja is a strong advocate of hard training, but has been forced to relax his intensity in the build-up to this weekend’s Switzerland trip.
Kasajja, who has for a fortnight been sharpening Uganda’s junior side , has toned down his training for fear of over working the teenagers.
“Save for experienced Boniface Kiprop and James Kibet, who are 18 the rest are too young. At times I fear that they might collapse if I over load them,†said Kasajja.
He is concerned particularly about 17-year-olds Moses Kipsiro, Simon Ayieko Martin Kiplimo and Isaac Kiprop who he said “are willing to run any distance, but are surely too young.â€
The juniors are nevertheless determined to improve on Uganda’s three team bronze medals.
They depart on Wednesday for the Swiss city of Lausanne. They will receive four tickets from the team’s sponsors SN Brussels Airlines at 5pm today.
The New Vision highlighted the runners’ plight, drawing the attention of the international airline.
National Council of Sports (NCS) has meanwhile secured a fifth ticket. National rugby team and Mango Kobs skipper Nathan Wasolo yesterday also donated sh30,000 while USPA gave sh200,000 to the team.
Uganda Amateur Athletics Federation (UAAF) interim committee chairman Timothy Magala said efforts are still on to raise the remaining two tickets to ensure that a team of six travels.
Four runners make a cross-country team. This is the minimum required to score points and contend for team medals.
Competitions will be in the senior men, junior men, senior women and junior women categories.
THE boys are for the first time assured of travelling to the World Cross country Championships in time, and are training like mad.
A great incentive, in the form of four air-tickets from SN Brussels, has seen the boys run extra miles in training.
The young team, bronze medal winners at the last three world meets, are pumping their lungs in the hills of Kapchorwa so hard that coach Johnson Kasajja is concerned.
Kasajja is a strong advocate of hard training, but has been forced to relax his intensity in the build-up to this weekend’s Switzerland trip.
Kasajja, who has for a fortnight been sharpening Uganda’s junior side , has toned down his training for fear of over working the teenagers.
“Save for experienced Boniface Kiprop and James Kibet, who are 18 the rest are too young. At times I fear that they might collapse if I over load them,†said Kasajja.
He is concerned particularly about 17-year-olds Moses Kipsiro, Simon Ayieko Martin Kiplimo and Isaac Kiprop who he said “are willing to run any distance, but are surely too young.â€
The juniors are nevertheless determined to improve on Uganda’s three team bronze medals.
They depart on Wednesday for the Swiss city of Lausanne. They will receive four tickets from the team’s sponsors SN Brussels Airlines at 5pm today.
The New Vision highlighted the runners’ plight, drawing the attention of the international airline.
National Council of Sports (NCS) has meanwhile secured a fifth ticket. National rugby team and Mango Kobs skipper Nathan Wasolo yesterday also donated sh30,000 while USPA gave sh200,000 to the team.
Uganda Amateur Athletics Federation (UAAF) interim committee chairman Timothy Magala said efforts are still on to raise the remaining two tickets to ensure that a team of six travels.
Four runners make a cross-country team. This is the minimum required to score points and contend for team medals.
Competitions will be in the senior men, junior men, senior women and junior women categories.